<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Little Red Riding James by CheezLord12</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28623264">Little Red Riding James</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CheezLord12/pseuds/CheezLord12'>CheezLord12</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Harry Potter Fairy Tales [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>At least I tried, Gen, Grandmother - Freeform, Humor, Red Riding Hood - Freeform, james is an idiot</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 10:28:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,390</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28623264</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CheezLord12/pseuds/CheezLord12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>James Potter is definitely mature enough to move out of his parents home, and if they want him to deliver some food to his sick grandmother to prove it, then fine! <br/>He won’t get distracted or fall prey to anyone.<br/>Probably.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Harry Potter Fairy Tales [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2097393</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Little Red Riding James</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>If you truly wish to move out, you need to take some up responsibilities.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>James cursed as he entered the woods, almost immediately tripping on a root. What did his parents think he was, utterly useless? </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Go give your sick grandmother this food, and we'll let you move out.</span>
  </em>
  <span> his mother had said, like he wasn't capable of walking into the woods, delivering a basket, and coming back. Wait, was that a butterfly?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>James shook his head. Alright, maybe he had some attention issues that would make it hard to live alone, but he could do this. Yes, he was a strong, independent </span>
  <em>
    <span>grown-up</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He didn't need no parents.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He scanned the trees, swinging the bag slightly as he followed the path deeper into the woods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hello."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>James screamed, dropping the basket and raising his hands defensively. He dropped into a fighting stance, looking at...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>James shuffled a little to the side. Ah, that was better. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>In front of him, just off the path, was a scruffy looking man leaning on a tree, arms crossed. He had a messy beard and as he smiled, James caught sight of some </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> sharp teeth. In a word, he was... wolfish.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He chuckled deeply, pushing off the tree and approaching James. "Relax, I'm not going to hurt you."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, okay." James dropped his hands, readjusting his red  riding hood and picking his basket back up off the ground. "My name is James! Who are you?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You can call me Greyback." said the man.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Greyback. </span>
  </em>
  <span>James tested the name out in his mouth. The name sounded familiar, somehow. Maybe his parents had... ah, what did they know? Greyback stepped forward again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What are you doing in the woods all alone, James?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, I'm delivering some food to my grandmother. She's sick." He thrust the basket out to Greyback, proudly displaying the assorted goods. "What are you doing?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Greyback shrugged. "Hunting."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>James' eyes widened. Greyback must have been very skilled, to be able to hunt without even a knife. His mind started to drift, but he forced himself to focus. "Well, I have to get going. Grandmother's only getting sicker! Goodbye!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wait!" Greyback’s voice was almost a bark, and his hands curled into fists. James noticed that his nails were filed into sharp points. So cool.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Where is your grandmother's house?" he asked. James tore his attention away from the nails and frowned. He was fairly certain he wasn't supposed to tell strangers where grandmother's house was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Greyback wasn't a stranger! James had known him for an entire minute. He grinned, pointing down the path. "Just down the path. It's about two hours walk."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, I see. And you're... taking the path all the way?" Greyback leaned forward in anticipation, licking his lips. James felt a spark of pleasure at this. He'd known he was quite the interesting fellow, but it was nice to see that other people thought so as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yep, all the way!" As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Greyback spun around and sprinted into the woods with alarming speed, leaving James behind, blinking.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Boy.</span>
  </em>
  <span> James thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That was weird. Maybe he had to go to the bathroom.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Satisfied with this explanation, James started down the path once more, skipping a little as he thought of his new friend, Greyback.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Two hours sounded a lot shorter when you didn't have to walk through the woods for the entirety of it, James decided, shifting his basket to his other hand and groaning loudly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His feet hurt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His arms hurt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was </span>
  <em>
    <span>hot.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He gave a little, excited gasp as grandmother's house came into view. And grandmother had even left the door wide open for him! How sweet!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Reinvigorated, James skipped into the house, calling, "Grandmother! I'm here and I brought you food!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm in the bedroom." came grandmother's gravelly voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Why grandmother," James said teasingly. "What a deep voice you have!" he entered the bedroom. His grandmother was lying on the bed, wearing a huge bonnet and a cloth tied around the lower half of her face. All James could see were her black eyes, glinting out from under the bonnet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sickness must have been very serious, because grandmother's eyes were normally blue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"All the better to greet you with." Grandmother replied, pulling the blanket further up her chest. Poor grandmother must have been cold. "Now, come closer with that food, James, dear." She adjusted the blanket once more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Goodness, grandmother." James said faintly, sitting on the bed. "What large hands you have!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"All the better to embrace you with, dear." Grandmother snapped quickly. "Hand me the basket, now."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>James chuckled and pulled the basket away from grandmother. "Not so fast, grandmother. You have to eat in the kitchen, or else you'll get crumbs in the sheets!" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grandmother growled—growled!—and shook her head. "No, James. I'm too sick for that. We'll stay here."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>James frowned, but he didn't want to push her. "Very well, grandmother. Here, have a muffin." Grandmother smiled widely as James handed her a muffin, revealing a very large mouth. James gagged a little, his hand stilling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Grandmother," he said. "What a big </span>
  <em>
    <span>mouth</span>
  </em>
  <span> you have."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grandmother flung off the covers, sitting up rapidly. "All the better to eat you with, child!" she yelled, lunging at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>James realized several things at once.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>First, this was not his grandmother.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Second, this was his friend Greyback.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Third, Greyback was making an aggressive sort of movement towards James.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And finally, he'd better move if he didn't want to get hurt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Time sped back up as he rolled out of the way, landing on the ground with a </span>
  <em>
    <span>thump.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>"Greyback!" he greeted happily. "What are you doing here?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Greyback simply growled and swiped at James, leaving scratch marks in his arm. James felt his eyes fill with tears, and his bottom lip started to quiver. "Hey!" he yelled. "That was mean. I'm telling my mom!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He expected Greyback to freeze and beg him not to, but Greyback </span>
  <em>
    <span>lunged again.</span>
  </em>
  <span> The nerve!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>James finally realized that maybe, perhaps, Greyback wasn't just messing around. He screamed, long and hard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The high-pitched sound cut through the air, causing the glass vase to quiver. Greyback stumbled back, his face twisting in horror as he clapped his hands to his ears. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>James screamed for almost a minute straight before finally stopping. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Greyback ran at him as he sucked in deep breaths, feeling light headed. James pushed his back to the wall, eyes wide in fear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Greyback's outstretched hand came closer to James' face... and froze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He toppled over and fell onto the ground, falling still. James blinked and then grinned, pumping his fist. "I have mind-control powers!" he crowed. "Whooo!" He jumped up and down in excitement, the possibilities whirring through his mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What?" James was startled out of his thoughts by a befuddled voice. "You do?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>James screamed and jumped into the wall, taking in the man in front of him. He was tall, with midnight skin and close-cropped hair. James slowly started to put the pieces together when his eyes caught on the dagger sticking from Greyback's back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh," he said, sagging.</span>
  <em>
    <span> "You</span>
  </em>
  <span> killed him."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man blinked, opening his mouth once before closing it again. "Yes, I did. Are you alright?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>James nodded, still a little disappointed that he didn't have powers. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for saving my life and stuff." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A thought came into his mind, and James gasped. "Grandmother!" he exclaimed, looking around. "Where are you?" There was a muffled </span>
  <em>
    <span>thud</span>
  </em>
  <span> from the closet and James raced over there, pulling the door open. His grandmother spilled out, her mouth gagged and hands tied. With help from the man, James untied her easily, setting her on the bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Idiot boy!" she screeched. "You seriously thought that </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> fully grown man was me? Look at him!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>James furrowed his brow. "Grandmother, he was wearing your clothes."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grandmother huffed and turned away from him, her fist clenching, and started to angrily eat the muffin still on the bed. The man with the dagger, still looking extremely mistified, turned to James.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I..." he said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"My name is James! Who are you?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Kingsley," the man said. "My name is Kingsley."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cool. Well, I’m looking to move out of my parents house. Do you know a place, by any chance?”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>